


Stood Up

by The_Alias (Artemis_Day)



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - No Powers, F/M, First Dates, First Meetings, Pepperony Week, PepperonyWeek20, Tony Stark Bingo 2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-20
Updated: 2020-06-20
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:00:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 967
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24824227
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Artemis_Day/pseuds/The_Alias
Summary: This had to be the worst night of Pepper Potts' life.
Relationships: Pepper Potts/Tony Stark
Comments: 12
Kudos: 78
Collections: Tony Stark Bingo 2020





	Stood Up

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Pepperony Week Day One: High School/College AU. 
> 
> Also, for Tony Stark Bingo (Card 3066) Square A5- First Date.

She would not cry. She absolutely would not cry in this restaurant.

Because why should she? Pepper Potts was a lady of refinement. Of flawless poise and grace under pressure. It had been so since the day she was born. Her dad used to joke that she came out of the womb fully dressed with her hair and make-up already done.

When her dog was hit by a car, she didn’t cry. When she failed to get into her first choice university, she took the disappointment in stride. Pepper Potts was not the kind of woman who broke down in the middle of a crowded restaurant all because she got stood up on a date.

Yet here she was watching tears drip into her coffee.

_ ‘You should’ve known,’ _ she told herself.  _ ‘You met him at a frat party for Christ’s sake. Did you really expect some guy you drunkenly made out with once to keep a date?’ _

The more she thought about it, the more stupid she felt. All week, she’d been texting this guy about their big first date, only to receive one or two word responses hours later. That he never even used her name was suddenly glaringly obvious. God, she was so stupid.

A waitress walked by, glancing awkwardly in her direction. Pepper had asked her not to come back until her date arrived. Now was probably a good time to get the check. 

The door opened, admitting a group of young women. Their laughter made Pepper freeze. Most of them were no more recognizable than any college girl on a night out. One person, however, stood out from the rest.

“I think Tony might ask me out soon. I’ve been dropping hints for weeks.”

“Ooooh yeah, you get that boy, Heather!’

Fuck. Heather Beachum. That girl in her accounting class who thought she was a villain in a Disney channel movie. 

For some reason, Heather always had it out for Pepper specifically. All of her friends said it was because she was taller and prettier than her. The former, at least, was true. As Heather was the last person Pepper wanted to talk to right now, she buried her face in a menu and hoped for the best.

“Pepper Potts? Is that you?”

_ Fuck! _

“Oh, hi Heather,” Pepper said dully, unable to look the other girl in the eye. “Nice to see you.”

“You too,” Heather said, her words razor sharp. “You look kind of lonely. Is your date late?”

“I’m just getting some coffee,” Pepper said. Looking down, she spotted a teardrop lining the rim of her mug and it brought a fresh wave of emotion straight to the back of her eyes. 

“Hmm… sure looks like it.” Heather kneeled over, and Pepper had no time to suck back the newly forming tears. “Hey now, don’t cry. Getting dumped is a simple fact of life… or so I’ve heard.”

The other girls snickered. Pepper wondered if throwing coffee in a classmate’s face would hurt her academic record. Before she could talk herself out of it (or into it), the voices of Heather’s friends suddenly died down. Footsteps approached and then someone slid into the booth.

“Hey, Pep. Sorry, I’m late, I just got held up with some stuff.”

Tony Stark.

_ Tony fucking Stark was sitting in her booth. _

Literally him, too. Not just that guy in the theater program who did impressions of him for a comedy sketch. 

As if this was completely normal and he was always meant to be her date, Tony picked up a menu and began perusing the appetizers. ”How about we get a basket of hot wings to share? Oh and… Harper was it?”

He looked at Heather and her friends like he'd only just noticed they were there. The looks on their faces added five years to Pepper’s life.

”It’s Heather,” Heather said, her face deathly pale. “We met at that party and you said you liked my dress, remember?”

“Oh yeah, that’s it,” Tony yawned. “Anyway, Harley, if you and your friends don’t mind, we’d like a little privacy. Thanks.”

With a wave, he dismissed them. The group slunk off in defeat, disappearing from sight and from Pepper’s thoughts. All she could think about right now was the actual celebrity right in front of her.

“Uh,” she coughed. “I mean… Thank you for doing that. Helping me, I mean.”

Tony shrugged. “You’ve been sitting here a while. I figured you’d been stood up. Would’ve come over sooner, but I didn’t have a good lead-in. Plus, I don’t like that girl very much.”

Pepper snorted. “Well, I guess tonight isn’t quite as bad as I thought.”

“It doesn’t have to be bad at all,” Tony said. He got up from his seat and bowed low. “Since we’re both alone, would you do me the honor of being my date?”

Pepper blinked a few times, but he didn’t disappear. “Are you serious?”

“Always,” Tony said, offended. “Okay, not always. About eighty percent of the time let’s say. This is one of those times, though. I would like it very much if you would join me for dinner. I’m paying.”

Of course, Pepper knew Tony Stark’s reputation. The notorious womanizing billionaire who didn’t even need to be in school anymore since he already had two PhDs. When asked why he stayed, he always had the same answer. “It’s fun.”

That had to be why he thought asking a complete stranger out was a good idea, but damn if that smile wasn’t so adorably earnest.

“I prefer to go Dutch,” Pepper said, “but wings do sound good right now.”

“With jalapeno sauce?”

“That’s the only way to eat them.”

Tony laughed. “You know Pep, I think this is the start of a beautiful friendship.”

Weirdly enough, so did Pepper.


End file.
